Excerpt from Ontario.ca
Introducing the Ontario Tourism and Hospitality Small Business Support Grant
Ontario recognizes that there are many businesses in the tourism and hospitality sector that require support to get through this difficult time. This is why the government is introducing the new Ontario Tourism and Hospitality Small Business Support Grant, which will provide an estimated $100 million in one‐time payments of $10,000 to $20,000 to eligible small businesses.
As they look ahead to the upcoming spring and summer tourism season, these eligible small businesses can apply for support to help them recover from the impacts of COVID‐19 as well as to help create and protect jobs. Businesses must demonstrate they have experienced a minimum 20 per cent revenue decline and have less than 100 employees to qualify. Applying online will be easy. Further details can be obtained at Ontario.ca
Any small businesses that received the Ontario Small Business Support Grant will not be eligible for this new grant.
Examples of Eligible Businesses for the Ontario Tourism and Hospitality Small Business Support Grant
- Hotels
- Motels
- Travel Agencies
- Amusement and Water Parks
- Hunting and Fishing Camps
- Recreational and Vacation Camps (e.g., children’s overnight summer camps)
Also on March 24, the government announced a second round of support through the Ontario Small Business Support Grant. Small businesses who have been determined as eligible recipients for the Ontario Small Business Support Grant will automatically be entitled to a second payment in an amount equal to the first payment they receive. They will not need to apply again to receive this additional funding.
With this additional round of support, eligible businesses can expect minimum total support of $20,000, up to a maximum of $40,000, over the two Ontario Small Business Support Grant payments. To be eligible, a business must demonstrate they experienced a revenue decline of at least 20% when comparing monthly revenue in April 2019 and April 2020. This time period was selected because it reflects the impact of the public health measures in spring 2020, and as such provides a representation of the possible impact of these latest measures on small businesses.
New businesses established since April 2019 are also eligible provided they meet the other eligibility criteria.
Businesses will be able to use the support in whatever way makes the most sense for them. For example, some businesses could use the support to pay employee wages, while others may need support maintaining their inventory.
